A tragic house fire in Necedah, Wisconsin claimed the lives of six family members, including a former pastor, two of his daughters, and three of his granddaughters, as confirmed by authorities and church officials. The victims were identified as 66-year-old Steven Witte, 38-year-old Charis Kuehl, and 35-year-old Lydia Witte, along with three children aged 2, 5, and 8 who remain unnamed. The fire occurred early Sunday morning, as stated by the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office in a news release on Tuesday.
Sheriff Andrew Zobal did not respond to inquiries by The Associated Press made on Wednesday. A joint statement from staff at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Green Bay and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod President Mark Schroeder revealed that Steve Witte had served as a missionary in Thailand and as a pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church from 2001 to 2009. Lydia Witte and Charis Kuehl were his daughters, and the three children who perished in the fire were his granddaughters.
According to the Rev. Larry Schlomer, WELS World Missions Administrator, the family was having a gathering at the house when the fire erupted. “It was such a tremendous loss, that many deaths within the same family,” Schlomer expressed to WMTV-TV. While the state fire marshal is aiding in the investigation into the fire, the sheriff’s office mentioned in the Tuesday release that the fire appears to have been accidental.
